Morning Report: June 12, 2005

Bombs kill 8 in western Iran. Free Iran citing AFP reports: 'A TV grab taken 12 June 2005 from Iranian Al-Alam TV shows a wrecked car in Iran's restive southwestern city of Ahvaz, an ethnic-Arab majority city close to the border with Iraq, following a string of bomb attacks that targetted several public buildings. At least eight people were killed and 75 others injured when a string of bomb attacks rocked the city just days before the Islamic republic's presidential election. At least eight people were killed and 75 others injured when a string of bomb attacks rocked Iran's restive southwestern city of Ahvaz just days before the Islamic republic's presidential election. Four blasts targetted several public buildings in Ahvaz, an ethnic-Arab majority city close to the border with Iraq and capital of oil-rich Khuzestan province. "The victims were two employees of the budget planning organisation and six residents of the city who were outside the prefecture and housing ministry office," deputy provincial police commander General Hassan Assad Masjedi told the official news agency IRNA. "Because of the seriousness of some of the injuries, the death toll could rise further," he added. Khuzestan's deputy governor Gholam Reza Shariati said the unidentified attackers were trying to damage "the territorial integrity of the country and the election process". ' A comment at Free Iran asserts: 'Today 4 bombs in Ahvaz damaged goverment buildings, killing 8 and injuring many. The opposition groups beleive this to be part of the infightings which is in the rise and now reaches a point that the two sides attack each other with bombs! This is a continuation of assasinations which took many victims from mostly 'reform' side. It's possible that the hardliners are planning more assasinations, in case the so called reform candidates win the election. Although, the mojahedin [=Mojahedin-e-Khalq?] group announced last week that they will create chaos within the regime, they haven't taken responsibilities of these recent bombings yet. The other opposition group, Anjoman e Padeshahi declared that any attacks will not include bombs, and will be announced. Mr. Fouladvand said today that anjoman does not support bombings, and has not ordered this action.' (AFP and Iran Press News via Free Iran)